Holiday travel can be stressful, whether you find yourself on the interstate or navigating international airports. Instead of hitting the airport bar or screaming at the kids in the backseat of the car, use these apps to help ease some of the hassle that is holiday travel.
Top Apps for Holiday Travel
1. AllSubway HD – This is one of my favorite apps for the iPhone and I was thrilled to see that they adapted it for the iPad as well. Simply put, AllSubway compiles comprehensive metro and light rail maps for more than 100 cities around the world and puts them at your fingertips.
If you’ve traveled to a new city, then you are probably familiar with the feeling of looking at an alien transit map and wondering who concocted such a thing and how on earth do you use it? The AllSubway app is a good step forward to helping you get around a new city without looking lost.
I love this app because I can quickly and easily access a transit system map without being online and without looking like a tourist. I have used this app around the world and love its ease of use and convenience.
Cost: $0.99
2. My TSA – I know not everyone has warm fuzzy feelings for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), but their app is a great resource. Choose your U.S. airport and up pops full information on weather and delays. Users can also add information on estimated wait times at security. This feature is useful, but is only as good as the users who update it, so timely information can be spotty. Still, this is a quick and easy way to see if there are any delays at your local airport, or at any airport in the United States.
Cost: Free
3. Point Inside Maps for Airports & Malls – This is an indispensable app for anyone who wants to navigate airports quickly and efficiently. With more than 85 US and International airport maps and more than 700 mall maps, it is an amazing travel resource. Rather than wander around aimlessly looking for a restaurant or bathroom, Point Inside has interactive maps featuring all restaurants, bathrooms and other service areas throughout the airport. It is extremely easy to use and very well done. Plus it’s free, which in itself is amazing.
Cost: Free
4. Waze – The first thing I think of when it comes to holiday travel is the traffic, which can at times be awful. Waze is part GPS and part traffic information resource. Simply drive around with the Waze app open to automatically share live traffic information with other drivers nearby. Users can also add alerts for traffic jams, accidents, police speed traps and more. Waze goes the extra step to then reroute the driver around any traffic or accidents that may lie ahead. I really like this app, but just like the TSA app, it is completely dependent on how many people are using the app near you.
Cost: Free
5. The Weather Channel – I don’t care where you’re going, how you’re getting there or what you’re doing, weather is one of the most important factors in any travel experience. I’m guilty of ignoring local news and updates when I travel, I just seem to be too busy with my schedule and having a good time. That’s why I love this app. Rather than wait for the evening news or navigate a slow website on my iPad, I just open The Weather Channel app and see what the weather will be like no matter where I am. It’s simple and straightforward, but vital for anyone, particularly the road tripper.
Cost: Free
Honorable Mention
Free WiFi Finder – Free WiFi is vital for anyone traveling and is the best way to access the internet and stay in touch with friends and family. Rather than wander around a foreign city looking for a McDonalds or Free WiFi sign, I use this app to help me quickly find the closest free WiFi hotspot. Of course one would think the irony here is that you have to be online to find free WiFi, but not so with this app. You can download an offline WiFi Finder in advance so that you can find a free hotspot anywhere in the world.
Cost: Free
